Administrative and technical acceptances went without a problem. It was a pleasant 29 degrees in Abu Dhabi , with desert temperatures forecast to reach over 40 degrees, so most race participants are running after the service with a bottle of water in hand. Adherence to the drinking regimen is a must here. The grounds of the Yas Marina Circuit , on which the F1 race is run, among others, are once again used as the ADDC base. On Saturday afternoon, the riders started for a short prologue. The change compared to previous years is that this year they drove on an asphalt surface. Yesterday we had fun watching a cross-country race on the circuit. Yas Marina Circuit hosted runners who took part in the global event The Color Run .
In the prologue, held at the Yas Marina Circuit , the Offroadsport crew placed 13th. Nasser Al-Attiyah was first at the finish, Khalid Al Qasiimi second and Lucio Alvarez third. The riders had the opportunity to walk the entire track and most of the time they shook their heads in disbelief as to what the organizers were thinking. Offroad speed test on asphalt. However, the spectacle was interesting. Turns skidded, in places even almost successful drifts. Unfortunately, some did not fully estimate their speed and two cars were damaged by a collision with a barrier on the side of the track. On Sunday, the driver was expecting a normal racing day with a good portion of kilometers. 262 km of special stages and another 141 km of crossings.
After the first desert stage, everyone was resting in the bivouac after the hot day and preparing for the next fight. A race in the sand debilitates everyone without distinction. Riders, journalists and organizers. Sunday felt hot with 32 degrees in the shade, but the competitors expected even higher temperatures in the following two days. Mirek Zapletal and Maciek started from thirteenth position. In the car, they, like the rest of the crew, were troubled by the heat, which reached up to fifty degrees. Fortunately, this was the only problem and thanks to a faultless ride they managed to advance into the top ten. They reached the finish line in eighth place. Today's stage was won by home rider Al Helei , who took part in this race for the twenty-third time. Vladimir Vasilyev was second and Reinaldo Varela third. Unlucky was Nasser Al-Attiyah , who lost valuable minutes trying to get his car out of the sand. Adam Malysz also enjoyed kicking today and after the subsequent wheel change his loss was 20 minutes. The bikers also had a tough day, the extreme heat and dehydration took their toll and some had to be transported by helicopter. Today's clear leader was Marc Coma with his KTM motorcycle.
The second stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge brought riders to the dune fields of the Rub Al Khali . 279 kilometers of sandy roads and dunes of all sizes tested crews and equipment. Nasser Al-Attiyah won the stage ahead of Vladimir Vasilyev and Orlando Terranova . A problem with the electronics stopped Reinaldo Varela's Toyota Hilux from the race today. Unfortunately, even Mirko was a bit annoyed by the technician on Monday. After overheating, while driving in the dunes, the control unit automatically shut down and the car stopped. Fortunately, she jumped again and our crew could continue the race. Several times Mirek had to repeat the exit to the dune, because the car crashed into the soft sand. The high temperatures make the sand very soft and cause problems even for local terrain experts. Our crew arrived at the finish line in 12th place and finished ninth overall. Today, the race participants will have 273 kilometers of special stages and 127 kilometers of crossings.
Source: Offroadsport
